1 00:00:01,633 --> 00:00:03,866 JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump is projecting defiance as he faces his 2 00:00:03,866 --> 00:00:08,866 greatest political peril yet, an unprecedented second impeachment. 3 00:00:10,866 --> 00:00:13,900 He denied any responsibility today for the riot that engulfed the halls of Congress last week. 4 00:00:15,366 --> 00:00:17,400 White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports. 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,700 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The nation still reeling, and President Trump with no regrets. 6 00:00:21,700 --> 00:00:26,700 The president emerged in public for the first time since extremist supporters stormed the Capitol. 7 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:30,900 He rejected all talk of involuntary removal or a second impeachment. 8 00:00:30,900 --> 00:00:34,466 DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: It's really a continuation of the greatest 9 00:00:34,466 --> 00:00:39,433 witch-hunt in the history of politics. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. 10 00:00:41,933 --> 00:00:44,766 For Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to continue on this path, I think it's causing tremendous 11 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:51,733 danger to our country, and it's causing tremendous anger. I want no violence. 12 00:00:51,733 --> 00:00:54,533 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: At his rally last Wednesday, President Trump urged the 13 00:00:54,533 --> 00:00:58,866 crowd to march to the Capitol. He's since been denounced for inciting the mob. 14 00:00:58,866 --> 00:01:02,966 But, today, he insisted his words had been -- quote -- "totally appropriate." 15 00:01:02,966 --> 00:01:06,266 That brought new condemnation from the Senate's top Democrat, 16 00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:08,266 incoming Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. 17 00:01:08,266 --> 00:01:13,100 SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): What Trump did today, blaming others for what he caused, 18 00:01:14,966 --> 00:01:19,166 is a pathological technique used by the worst of dictators. Trump causes the anger, 19 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:26,700 he causes the divisiveness, he foments the violence and blames others for it. 20 00:01:28,633 --> 00:01:33,033 That is despicable. Donald Trump should not hold office one day longer. 21 00:01:35,033 --> 00:01:38,833 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: House Democrats agree. Tonight, they will vote on a resolution calling 22 00:01:38,833 --> 00:01:43,466 for Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office. 23 00:01:44,966 --> 00:01:47,900 The resolution states: "These insurrectionary protests were 24 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:51,500 widely advertised and broadly encouraged by President Trump." 25 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:55,500 Today, the House Rules Committee debated the measure. On full display, 26 00:01:55,500 --> 00:02:00,500 deep partisanship. Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin and Democrats demanded action. 27 00:02:02,566 --> 00:02:04,633 REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): It's up to the vice president, and we're not trying to usurp his 28 00:02:04,633 --> 00:02:08,933 authority in any way. We're trying to tell him that the time of the 25th Amendment emergency 29 00:02:10,533 --> 00:02:14,933 has arrived. It has come to our doorstep. It has invaded our chamber. 30 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:20,300 They can help to lead us out of the nightmare we have been plunged into by this sequence of events. 31 00:02:23,133 --> 00:02:26,900 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: But Republicans, including Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, 32 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:28,900 echoed the president's claims of a witch-hunt. 33 00:02:28,900 --> 00:02:31,633 REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Let's be clear. Democrats have been wanting 34 00:02:31,633 --> 00:02:34,900 to remove President Trump from office since he won the election in 2016. 35 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,366 They failed with the Russia investigation. They failed with the Mueller investigation. 36 00:02:39,366 --> 00:02:43,533 And they failed with their first impeachment investigation. So, here we are again. 37 00:02:43,533 --> 00:02:47,400 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Jordan also refused to say whether president-elect Biden 38 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:48,833 won the election fairly. 39 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:53,933 For his part, Vice President Pence has signaled he is not open to using the 25th Amendment. 40 00:02:55,866 --> 00:02:58,866 Instead, last night, he and the president met, after days of not speaking. 41 00:02:58,866 --> 00:03:02,566 They reportedly agreed to work together for the remainder of their term. 42 00:03:02,566 --> 00:03:07,533 Today, President Trump said -- quote -- "The 25th amendment is no risk to me." 43 00:03:07,533 --> 00:03:11,533 But, if that's the case, House Democrats say, tomorrow, they will vote on impeachment. 44 00:03:12,966 --> 00:03:15,533 At the same time, more details emerged about President Trump's 45 00:03:15,533 --> 00:03:19,866 real-time response to the assault on the Capitol. The Washington Post reported that the president 46 00:03:19,866 --> 00:03:24,866 ignored pleas for help from lawmakers. Instead, he chose to watch the violence unfold on TV. 47 00:03:26,866 --> 00:03:30,233 And a report by Axios said he blamed anti-fascists, or Antifa, for the violence. 48 00:03:32,333 --> 00:03:35,266 There is no evidence to back up that claim. But defenders of President Trump keep repeating it. 49 00:03:36,933 --> 00:03:38,933 The hunt for those who assaulted the Capitol is also in full swing. 50 00:03:38,933 --> 00:03:41,033 STEVEN D'ANTUONO, Assistant Director, Fbi Washington Field Office: I want to 51 00:03:41,033 --> 00:03:44,300 stress that the FBI has a long memory and a broad reach. So, even if you have left D.C., 52 00:03:45,966 --> 00:03:49,066 agents from our local field offices will be knocking on your door 53 00:03:50,733 --> 00:03:53,333 if we find out that you are part of the criminal activity at the Capitol. 54 00:03:53,333 --> 00:03:56,933 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Acting U.S. attorney for D.C. Michael Sherwin 55 00:03:56,933 --> 00:04:01,900 also said they're forming a task force to build charges tied to sedition and conspiracy. 56 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:05,866 Meanwhile, state capitols are bracing for new violence. 57 00:04:05,866 --> 00:04:10,866 The FBI indicated that, in the coming days, there could nationwide protests by armed groups. 58 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,233 In Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel says the state capitol is still not safe. 59 00:04:18,733 --> 00:04:22,066 That comes despite a new rule banning the open carry of firearms. Today, the FBI also met with 60 00:04:24,566 --> 00:04:27,733 other federal agencies and Pentagon leadership on inauguration security. And senators received 61 00:04:29,733 --> 00:04:32,033 a briefing from the Secret Service and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. 62 00:04:32,033 --> 00:04:37,033 Back at the U.S. Capitol, yet more fallout. Three lawmakers have now tested positive for the 63 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,233 coronavirus. They were part of a group hunkering down during the Capitol siege with Republicans who 64 00:04:44,766 --> 00:04:47,666 were not wearing masks. The video shows some even refusing masks handed out during the lockdown. 65 00:04:49,633 --> 00:04:53,533 And the president also faces fallout of a different kind from big business. Today, Deutsche 66 00:04:53,533 --> 00:04:57,933 Bank, the biggest lender to his companies, says it will have no more dealings with him. 67 00:04:57,933 --> 00:05:00,400 JUDY WOODRUFF: 68 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,333 And Yamiche joins me now for more, along with our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins. 69 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:08,266 Hello to both of you. So much happening today. 70 00:05:08,266 --> 00:05:09,633 Lisa, I'm going to start with you. 71 00:05:09,633 --> 00:05:12,433 New developments now, as the House moves closer 72 00:05:14,266 --> 00:05:17,300 to that second impeachment process. Tell us what you're learning. 73 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:22,300 LISA DESJARDINS: Some extraordinary developments in just the past hour, Judy. 74 00:05:23,366 --> 00:05:24,900 The number three Republican in the House, 75 00:05:24,900 --> 00:05:28,433 Liz Cheney, has announced she will vote for impeachment. 76 00:05:28,433 --> 00:05:31,866 Reading from her statement, she wrote: "The president of the United States 77 00:05:31,866 --> 00:05:36,666 summoned this mob, assembled this mob, could have intervened, but did not." 78 00:05:36,666 --> 00:05:41,466 Also, another House Republican, John Katko of New York, is also voting for impeachment. He wrote: 79 00:05:41,466 --> 00:05:46,166 "It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection." 80 00:05:46,166 --> 00:05:50,033 At the same time, The New York Times is reporting another powerful Republican, 81 00:05:50,033 --> 00:05:54,500 Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, is on board the idea of impeachment, 82 00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:58,833 and does not want to speak to President Trump any more. That is major news. 83 00:05:58,833 --> 00:06:01,866 And I can tell you, Mitch McConnell and those around him are some of the most 84 00:06:01,866 --> 00:06:06,433 disciplined people in Washington. For that news to leak out is significant. 85 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,433 Finally, I have to say the mood at the Capitol, as you saw in Yamiche's piece, 86 00:06:10,433 --> 00:06:14,833 is very tense. Those supporting the president are ramping up their arguments, as you heard. 87 00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:19,833 But it does seem this crack in the Republican Party is opening up into a chasm over this issue. 88 00:06:22,166 --> 00:06:25,166 And some of the president's allies, including House leader, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, 89 00:06:27,766 --> 00:06:31,900 are now giving permission to members to vote their conscience on this issue. That's a very big deal. 90 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,933 One more thing, Judy. This vote could move along quickly. I'm told that House Republicans do not 91 00:06:37,933 --> 00:06:42,933 have any plans to throw procedural hurdles in the way tomorrow on the road to impeachment. 92 00:06:44,766 --> 00:06:48,300 JUDY WOODRUFF: These are gigantic political developments, Lisa. Thank you very much. 93 00:06:50,333 --> 00:06:54,100 And, as we have said, we're going to be covering this all from starting tomorrow morning 94 00:06:54,100 --> 00:06:56,733 here live, and you will be at the Capitol for us. 95 00:06:56,733 --> 00:07:01,733 So, separately to you, Yamiche, the FBI did hold that briefing today. 96 00:07:03,366 --> 00:07:05,366 Tell us more about what they are saying about what happened last week. 97 00:07:05,366 --> 00:07:10,366 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, today, the FBI and federal authorities made it very clear that 98 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:15,466 they are planning to track down and charge anyone connected to the siege on the Capitol. 99 00:07:15,466 --> 00:07:19,633 They say that they are treating this like an international counterterrorism effort. 100 00:07:19,633 --> 00:07:21,600 That is pretty remarkable, considering, of course, 101 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,300 these are Americans on domestic soil. But they say that they are looking at 102 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:29,766 so many different people. They say that they are expecting that this is going to be hundreds 103 00:07:29,766 --> 00:07:34,766 of cases. Right now, they have about 170 cases opened. They have charged about 70 people so far. 104 00:07:36,633 --> 00:07:39,366 They say that the charges range from felony murder all the way up 105 00:07:39,366 --> 00:07:42,166 to simple -- or all the way down to simple trespassing. They also 106 00:07:42,166 --> 00:07:46,666 say they're looking at theft of national security. They're look at theft of mail. 107 00:07:46,666 --> 00:07:50,500 They say that this could go from city to city. They say that they have already been in Dallas 108 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:55,500 and Jacksonville and Cleveland, rounding people up for this. They made it very clear that, 109 00:07:57,100 --> 00:07:59,366 if people were involved in this, that you could and will be charged. 110 00:07:59,366 --> 00:08:01,466 Another thing to note, though, that, even though it's been about 111 00:08:01,466 --> 00:08:05,533 almost a week since this siege on the Capitol, the people that were briefing today, 112 00:08:05,533 --> 00:08:08,566 they weren't the FBI director or the head of Homeland Security. 113 00:08:10,500 --> 00:08:13,766 So, there's really a big question of whether or not the top, top federal officials, 114 00:08:13,766 --> 00:08:16,500 whether they're at some point going to come before the public to speak out. 115 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:20,666 JUDY WOODRUFF: Fascinating, all of it. 116 00:08:23,233 --> 00:08:25,833 And we know, Yamiche, you're also following what is going on at the White House. You were reporting 117 00:08:25,833 --> 00:08:30,766 the president denying any responsibility for what happened. But you have been talking to people. 118 00:08:32,633 --> 00:08:34,566 What is he saying privately? What is he known to believe privately 119 00:08:35,866 --> 00:08:39,866 about how much responsibility he has for all this? 120 00:08:39,866 --> 00:08:44,666 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Despite a bipartisan push now to impeach President Trump, 121 00:08:44,666 --> 00:08:46,733 he's saying he has no regrets. 122 00:08:46,733 --> 00:08:51,566 He's also spreading disinformation and still saying things that are simply false in public 123 00:08:54,033 --> 00:08:57,366 and in private. The president today said that he believes that everything that he said on Wednesday 124 00:08:57,366 --> 00:09:02,366 before these people came and attacked our U.S. Capitol was totally appropriate. 125 00:09:04,333 --> 00:09:07,066 But let's remind people that he said the word fight or fighting in that speech 126 00:09:07,066 --> 00:09:10,333 more than 20 times. And he told people to march on the Capitol, 127 00:09:10,333 --> 00:09:14,566 and then went back to the security of the White House and watched all the violence play out on TV. 128 00:09:14,566 --> 00:09:18,966 He's also spreading the disinformation that this was really not his supporters, 129 00:09:18,966 --> 00:09:23,966 but that it was Antifa, anti-fascists, a group that he's called out and really made all sorts 130 00:09:26,500 --> 00:09:29,266 of information up about. And the FBI is saying there's no evidence of, that this was not Antifa. 131 00:09:31,233 --> 00:09:34,166 In fact, this was Trump -- this was the Trump supporters who were at the Capitol. They were 132 00:09:34,166 --> 00:09:37,300 wearing his name. They were wearing his logos. So, what you see here is 133 00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:41,533 President Trump trying to deflect and deny the fact that he has any connection to this. 134 00:09:41,533 --> 00:09:44,433 Another thing to note is that the president today was on the Southern border, 135 00:09:44,433 --> 00:09:48,500 and he said the 25th Amendment, he doesn't have any risk of being hurt by that, 136 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:52,166 or -- so he feels as though the only way that he's going to be at least punished by this is 137 00:09:52,166 --> 00:09:56,266 through impeachment, not through Vice President Pence taking any sort of action against him. 138 00:09:56,266 --> 00:09:58,866 JUDY WOODRUFF: 139 00:09:58,866 --> 00:10:03,333 All right, so much to follow on this Tuesday. We thank both of you for more excellent reporting. 140 00:10:05,233 --> 00:10:10,233 Yamiche, Lisa, thank you both.